This blog has nothing to do with gorillas (though I love 'em)...fellow bloggers have inspired me to share vintage images of Disneyland from my personal collection. But don't be surprised if you see something from a World's Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, or someplace else that is cool!

Tuesday, September 05, 2017

Today's photos are kind of a snooze. I'll admit it! But who among us couldn't use a snooze now and then? Except for Nanook, who is half android - he requires no sleep.

It's so hard to keep a camera level, what with the constant earthquakes. It was probably quaking just as this photo was shot - the people aren't reacting because they're so used to the ground shaking. But trust me, we have about 20 quakes a day. Some of those ladies are wearing bent paper hats - the latest thing in Milan. Where are the cargo shorts? The fanny packs? The muffin tops?

The haze makes the Matterhorn look much more massive! Notice the smidgen of the Monsanto House of the Future, juuuust visible.

Even the horses are blondes in California. You never know when a cigar-smoking producer will happen by to pluck somebody out of their miserable lives into sizzling stardom. Like the lady on the bench - in just a few years everybody would know her name. Of course you recognize Oscar winner Faye Dunaway!

15 comments:

Based on my usual times for providing 'commentary', I do seem to possess some sort of other-worldly makeup. But I can assure you, I am all human - rumors to the contrary. And speaking of the 'classic' Disneyland, bent paper hats - did that "design" exist outside of The Park-?

I'm guessing that star-sighting of Ms. Dunaway was prior to her attending 'finishing school', where she learned that a lady always sits properly with her legs pressing against one-another, and her shoes perfectly flat on the ground.

Thanks, Major. (And now I must retire to re-charge my internal energy packs...)

Only moments before the second pic was taken, Ms. Dunaway had incorrectly told that horse that the "Best Picture" winner for 1961 was, "Judgement at Nuremberg," instead of the correct winner, "West Side Story."

Is that an "America the Beautiful" attraction poster I see in the distance towards the Matterhorn? Even the little skybucket that could is being shy today hiding behind that flag pole. And then there's that receptacle encouraging people to "waste paper". I never waste anything.

And that sign says Horse Cars". Not "Horse-Drawn Street Cars", but just plain old "Horse Cars". Does that mean there were vehicles to take the horses back to their stable after a tiring day of working at Disneyland? Nice set today. And I've always liked the Matterhorn in a haze. It does change its presence. Thanks, Major.

The first photo speaks deeply to me. The Dutch angle emphasizes just how menacing the Home of the Future really was, concealing itself in the foliage and waiting to swallow unsuspecting guests. But that's the Future, isn't it? It lurks in the ill-defined shadows ahead, always just out of sight, waiting to devour us all.

Mountains and haze...when my wife and I first got married in the early '90s, we moved to San Bernardino. We'd come straight from Ohio, and she'd never been west of Chicago. Her geography of the L.A. basin was a bit hazy, sort of like the brownish atmospheric gunk you can see so clearly from up at Skyforest or Big Bear.

We'd been in the house for almost a week when I got an excited call at the office from my wife - "Chuck! There are mountains here!" The smog had been so bad, she hadn't noticed the 5,000-foot mountain range that started just 5 miles north of the house.

Major, I didn't notice the HOF because I was too busy ogling the waste bin, which is the biggest thing in the photo. Of course, DL waste bins were enormous, but the photo angle makes this one extra special.

I'd make a snide comment about the amateur photographer, goofy angles, waste bins, etc., but the flaws in the photo are mostly what makes it interesting.

The haze reminds me of Portland the last few days: our normally clear skies choked with smoke from wildfires.

The lady on the bench in that second photo looks just a bit too relaxed - like maybe she'd had a couple of double root beers over at the Golden Horseshoe. Such a relaxing park-like setting. Just needs pigeons.

Yes - that's one of America the Beautiful and the Matterhorn. And in the second image, there appears to be one for the Flying Saucers, above some slumped-over figure sitting on the bench, then The Plaza Pavilion, Enchanted Tiki Room, Tahitian Terrace 'tri-level' poster, and the Matterhorn.

Nanook, I see those other posters you're talking about now. Good catch! The Plaza Pavilion/Enchanted Tiki Room/Tahitian Terrace 'tri-level' poster is one of the best. If that photo was taken in later years at Disneyland, that would've been me slumped over from going to the park for three days straight, non-stop from 8am to 1am. Those were the days.

Melissa, it's funny how people are more comfortable with natural disasters that they're familiar with.

I spent a year working at a radio station in SW Oklahoma, smack dab in the middle of Tornado Alley, and every time we had a severe thunderstorm warning I used to get panicked phone calls from a young military spouse from one of the coasts whose husband worked nights. Severe weather, which I had grown up with in Illinois, Ohio, and Oklahoma, was completely outside her experience.

I can also remember tumbling out of bed and riding out the Northridge Earthquake just about three and a half months after moving to SoCal and thinking "Man, I sure miss tornadoes."

I was living in North Hollywood (OH - excuse me: Valley Village-!!) at the time of the Northridge earthquake. Other than having to move-out of my apartment, as the building was 'yellow-tagged', what seemed so unbelievable was what can best be described as "quite intense shaking" - when the initial shaking subsided, there wasn't one single crack or any damage, whatsoever, to the interior of my unit. Yes - crap was everywhere, and I was practically pinned to my bed thanks to a rather large wall unit falling in that direction. And other parts of the building had issues necessitating a great deal of re-construction. Amazingly, following such intense shaking, the big surprise was that anything should be left. But it was.

(Ahhh.... at least I became a homeowner thanks to having to move, and realizing I actually could afford to do so). And then I got to discover "The Pride of Home Ownership". [That's another story-!] HA.

Nanook, I can’t imagine that Disneyland was the only place that had a cheap paper hat. BUT… who knows! Of course you would say that you are human, so as to prevent panic in the streets. Faye Dunaway is a diva, but as you can see from today’s photo, she was easy on the eyes.

TokyoMagic!, that darn Faye, always talking to horses!

K. Martinez, yep, that’s an “America the Beautiful” poster, along with a “Matterhorn” poster just to the right. Funny thing, now that they can’t just walk the horses backstage to the pony farm (due to Star Wars Land), I believe that they really will need to use a vehicle to take them wherever they go for rest.

Chuck, the dutch angle speaks to me because it always makes me think of the “Batman” TV series! I think the future is definitely a bit scary, which is probably why I find the optimistic views of it (1939 World’s Fair’s “Futurama”, Carousel of Progress, etc) so darn appealing. And your wife’s comment is hilarious - there were times when I lived in Pasadena when you were barely aware of the big mountains nearby. Then a beautiful cool winter day would show them in startling clarity, and it was just stunning. Even today we (unfortunately) can have those awful smoggy days.

JG, ha ha, OK, so Ken Martinez loves those telephone poles, and now I know that you love the waste bins. This photographer did manage to get some nice shots, but there were a few duds in the bunch. I don’t even think these are too bad!

Tom, oh boy, we had a big big fire nearby (near Burbank) that was really bad. My car was coated with ash for two mornings. Poor Faye Dunaway was just exhausted - you know what Disneyland can do to you! But she might have a flask full of something special in her purse.

Nanook, thank you for pointing out that Stouffer’s “tri-level” poster (I have one!), I’m not sure I’ve seen another photo proving that they were ever on display in the park. So this is very cool.

K. Martinez, I can’t imagine going to the park for three straight days like that. Of course when I was a kid it would have been a dream come true, but it never happened. Two days in a row is the most I’ve ever done.

Melissa, in a way, why DON’T they bring back the paper hats? So inexpensive, and easy to make all kinds of different designs. Maybe even use fancy textured papers, or include foil stamping, etc. We’ve been lucky to not have a big earthquake for a while, but it can happen any time!

Chuck, I’ve never experienced a tornado, and hope I don’t - though part of me would love to see one! I’ll never forget when I had the opportunity to see a preview showing of “Pocahontas”. It was not complete (parts were still pencil tests, storyboards, etc). Eisner was there, as was Leonard Maltin (sitting just two rows in front of us), and other notables who I have forgotten. Maybe Roy E. Disney or Jeffrey Katzenberg. Anyway, there was a (small) earthquake just before the movie started. There was a moment of silence afterwards, followed by laughter and applause, and one person yelled “Start the movie!”, followed by more laughter and applause.

Nanook, I lived in Huntington Beach during the Sylmar earthquake; I shared a bedroom with my brother, and slept in the top bunk of a bunk bed. and I still vividly remember waking up (it started at around 6 in the morning) to the intense shaking, and the sight of our dozens of WWII airplane models swinging crazily as they hung from the ceiling with fishing line! We also had a banana tree at the side of the house that fell over. Luckily there was no serious damage.

Your comment regarding the [seemingly] rarely-seen Stouffer's 'Tri-level' A.P. did make me think about never actually seeing one on-display. (Kudos for having one in your collection-!) This proves at least one location/sighting. Now the hunt can begin...

You gotta look-out for those banana trees - always full of surprises-!